Is it wrong?

[JohnFitzgerald]

At times it's a lot of fun calling elk for others but as of late it's getting really old watching instead of shooting. So I've decided to hunt with only those who know how to call. I enjoy sharing but it seems like it's never "my turn". Do you think it's wrong of me to only hunt with those who can share in the calling responsibilites?

[Swede]

Who are you choosing to hunt with all the time? If you are hunting with old hunting buddies, then I would wonder when are they going to step up and take a turn calling. If you are taking out kids, then you get kids. Don't expect much.
I suspect you are a good caller, and that is important to you, and the people you hunt with realize they are not at your level. They are reluctant to take a turn, thinking you will look negatively at them. You probably do not think that way, but few people like to demonstrate they are poor at something you both are active at. Remember, you stopped and turned that spike for your buddy. Could he have done that?
Some of the folks I hunt with do not think about hunting much. They apply for their tags at the last minute. They buy their license and tags the same way. Reporting on heir hunt is a bother. They don't know much, and don't want to put in the effort to learn. People who frequent this forum are an odd bunch in that way.
Personally I would hunt by myself. You don't want them to call for you. You are better off alone, or find one person to work with and stick with him.

[WapitiTalk1]

I'll call for ya John, for a minimal charge I have been in your boat for a long, long time. That said, it doesn't take much for a hunter to learn and become proficient at the basic calls needed to locate, coax, or really even PO a bull. Geez, there are some pretty good instructional materials out there by some Elknut guy in Idaho a hunter can get for less than the price of a dozen arrows. What I have observed from many guys I've taken out is a poor understanding of what to say, when to say it, when to shut up, when to move, when to leave and circle around, and really just how to read a situation correctly. Confidence in calling and situational understanding is a huge advantage that puts one ahead of the game for certain. No, it's not wrong for you to think this way. After all, it's your hunting season also.

Swede makes some good points in his post.

[CrazyElkHunter]

John, It is a lot of fun calling for someone else, but all the time can get old. I have been the only caller in our group for 30 years. I just learned to adjust. I have never been fortunate to have someone call for me, never had a guide, but have managed to take 27 elk with a bow calling and stalking on my own. I sometimes had to pass up shots at bulls because they were facing me straight on at close range from being the caller and shooter, but it was exciting anyway. It was not my plan to become the only caller, it just worked out that way and I never changed hunting partners for over 3 decades. Back in the early 80's I called in a guy named Jim Horn's first bull in Oregon. A few years later he moved to Oregon, I lost touch with him and he started making CD's and DVD's on how to call elk and ended up with the Primo's gang for a few years and on the outdoor channel. I taught him how to call, called in his first bull, got him hooked and he never returned the favor. I lost contact with him for several years and somehow we ended up talking on the phone sometime in between about our elk hunting success. He told me he would never hunt with anyone that doe's not know how to call. His problem was, he always wanted to be the shooter. I told him my friendship was a lot more important to my hunting buddies and I was not going to stop hunting with them just because they didn't learn to call. I try to fill my tag early each year now, and it makes it a lot easier spending the rest of the season helping others. My last 3 bulls were taken in August. To answer your question, no, it's not wrong. Just adjust to what your comfortable with and enjoy both sides, caller and or shooter. A few times I was calling for someone else and I ended up being the shooter anyway because the bull gave me the shot instead of the designated shooter. Just make it clear before the hunt if opportunity turns to the caller it's ok to shoot. Jim Horn was ticked when I called in his 2nd bull even though we discussed it in camp the night before.

[cnelk]

I have a buddy or two that come out from Minnesota each year. They can cow call, maybe a bugle now and then.
They can call in elk but they rely on me to be the main caller for the week+ they are here hunting.
These are great friends from High School and I dont mind doing it for them because I hunt before and after they get here.

We typically set up where everyone is the the caller/shooter. Sometimes I set them 'out front', all depends on the situation.

Not sure if its wrong or not, but if you're feeling the way you described, maybe a little campfire chat with those involved is in order.
Kinda clear the air...

I bet they have thoughts/ideas too

Good Luck

[FemoralArchery]

You are in the field to enjoy yourself. If you enjoy yourself shooting bulls, then do what you got to do to make that happen. No one is going to fault you for trying to make the best hunting experience possible.

[Da White Shoe]

If I'm taking someone that hasn't hunted elk much, I just expect to call for them.
Not the end of the world... the caller gets shots too!

Now, if it's someone I hunt with year after year, they WILL learn to call.... because I will make sure that I teach them!
I'm not a competition-quality caller, for sure... but, learning to make a decent cow call and bugle isn't that hard.
If they have trouble using diaphrams, there are other options.
Sounds like you need to start schooling your friends.

Hunting elk by yourself is fun... until you get one down!

[bnsafe]

as someone who would kill for somebody to take me under their wing and teach me how, its not wrong at all. i did the same thing for years with turkey hunting. ive called in tons of gobblers somebody else shot. to this day i have family members who would go year in and year out and never learn to hunt them, only leach off of me. it got old after a few years. i didnt mind teaching, but when they made no effort to learn and didnt act like they even cared to learn it starting sucking. its your life and your hunt, do with it what makes you happy

[Trophyhill]

Either you will jive with certain people or you won't. To me the ultimate partner would be a family member or family friend that you consider family ie best friends or equivalent because at the end of the day all is forgiven and tomorrow is another day in the elkwoods.

[easeup]

great posts by everyone above.
Threads similar to this in the past bothered me somewhat since I feel the way Fitz does many times. And I knew I was being alittle self centered and it bothered me maybe that I was not balanced in my attitude about hunting.

what I can add for you is that the hunt is important to me as well as a successful hunt.
the guys I have hunted with in the past cannot call. So I call just to reduce the probability of it all going wrong when we finally play a bull. so I insist on being the caller for that reason alone.
It is not wrong to want to shoot also, so for me I just say sorry guys, but today I will be hunting solo.

[Jaquomo]

Nope, John, it's not wrong. Unless she's hot and can cook. Then it shouldn't matter whether she can call or not

[JohnFitzgerald]

Jaquomo - LOL! If my partner(she) was hot and can cook, I'd spend more time in camp.

Thanks guys for the support. Family goes no matter what.

If someone is trying to learn to call, I will not leave them behind. The one's that really frustrate me are the one's that are the first on the line but last to pick up a call. Once, someone told me "Why should I learn to call? You do a great job". When you call all season, it feels like your hunting for everyone but yourself.

RJ - I wouldn't charge you!

[WapitiTalk1]

RJ - I wouldn't charge you!

I wouldn't charge you either ... well, maybe ask you to call in my bull after yours is packed out and on ice .

[stringunner]

I generally am the caller. My two hunting buddies don't take the calling part as serious and thus I tend to draw that straw every time. But then I generally get to take three weeks off to hunt and the other two may only get a week, so I don't tend to mind as I get to hunt the other two weeks solo. I enjoy camp when they are there so I haven't yet allowed their non-interest in being the caller to bother me too much. Now if I only had a week to hunt, I think we would all agree to take turns.

I don't think you are off base with your desire to be the shooter and rotate the calling between those in the group, seem plenty fair to me. Choosing hunting partners is a two way street, they have to want to hunt with you and YOU have to want to hunt with them...meaning your hunting styles, goals, techniques, ect. probably had better align or it might make for a less than enjoyable experience.

[JohnFitzgerald]

RJ - I wouldn't charge you!

I wouldn't charge you either ... well, maybe ask you to call in my bull after yours is packed out and on ice .

If we ever hunt together in the future, I have a feeling it would be a "No you shoot first.....no you shoot first.....no you shoot first.....no you shoot first".

[Trophyhill]

RJ - I wouldn't charge you!

I wouldn't charge you either ... well, maybe ask you to call in my bull after yours is packed out and on ice .

If we ever hunt together in the future, I have a feeling it would be a "No you shoot first.....no you shoot first.....no you shoot first.....no you shoot first".

And the bull walks out of your lives forever

[Fullabull]

Funny subject in a way. I have been trying to get my dad to learn to call but he never seems to get it and has trouble with all the calls. I do 95% of the calling trying to get him his first elk with a bow, so far I have called in two bulls that came in unexpectedly to me and have shot them. My dad keeps telling me I'm shooting them out from under him (he's joking but it's funny).

I would have a talk with your hunting group and tell them how you feel. If they do not understand and learn how to call then they are not as good as hunting buddies as you deserve! Tell them you can help them learn and willing to teach them what you know.

[Da White Shoe]

Funny subject in a way. I have been trying to get my dad to learn to call but he never seems to get it and has trouble with all the calls. I do 95% of the calling trying to get him his first elk with a bow, so far I have called in two bulls that came in unexpectedly to me and have shot them. My dad keeps telling me I'm shooting them out from under him (he's joking but it's funny).

I would have a talk with your hunting group and tell them how you feel. If they do not understand and learn how to call then they are not as good as hunting buddies as you deserve! Tell them you can help them learn and willing to teach them what you know.

Ha! That's funny!

My Dad never did get the hang of it... no one that I'd rather hunt with though!

[GetemDuck]

If your like others and hunt with the same people all the time and still doing the calling, then i'd just tell them it's time to learn to call and become a teacher rather then a guide.....give a man a fish and feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and feed him for life.

I'd rather someone teach me to call rather then call for me. When coyote hunting my buddy and i switch from set to set, he uses hand calls one set and i run the fox pro the next set ( i used hand calls when i forget to charge the foxpro batteries...lol) but it works well for use because we sound very different.

[elkaholic]

[quote="GetemDuck"]If your like others and hunt with the same people all the time and still doing the calling, then i'd just tell them it's time to learn to call and become a teacher rather then a guide.....give a man a fish and feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and feed him for life.

Totally agree GetemDuck. I get a lot of enjoyment out of calling for others but I do like to have my turn in the hot seat. Hunting with a partner can be awesome if you both have relatively the same skills calling, stalking, glassing, ect... If one is considerably better than the other it can make things more difficult.